A/N: Few, editing can be a pain. Please enjoy the fic as it is better in the spelling and grammar than it was…hopefully.
Journal Entry, first one: Interestingly enough, I found that this 'Book of Silence' can be turned into a journal. Something else that I found odd is that when I put my quick pen onto the parchment of the book it writes my thoughts in the same language that I keep reading in this very book. Such a strange language, I can read and write it, but I can't seem to put sound to the words. It just doesn't work, I guess, so I translate their meanings to my own language in my mind. I'm still trying to figure this book out.
These past two months have been almost bearable; Glandria (Galaxia's new name) hasn't been too snippy towards me, or anything like that. She's genuinely sorry for what she did while under Chaos's influence. Apparently we have quite a bit in common, I guess that's why we've become pretty close friends. She understands me, she understands my need for silence sometimes, for the darkness, and she understands what it means to embody such destructive power.
Training has been going great though, Glandria is teaching me more than merely magic, she's teaching me how to tap a bit deeper into the powers of Silence and I have unlocked many new attacks. My healing abilities have gotten better too, which is a good thing, but I don't think Haruka will like that I'm becoming more destructive. Maybe I shouldn't tell the others, not that I tell them much anyways. This book is still a secret and hopefully it'll stay that way. It's not only been giving me some important information, but it's teaching me spells that I thought someone would need an experienced witch or wizard to teach it to them. Which leaves me wondering if it's the book or me. I'm almost afraid the assume either.
It seems this book has been magicked in some way, every time I open it there's something different, something that I'm looking for sub-consciously, something I want to read. After reading a lot about him, I'm starting to get the feeling that this Voldemort person isn't merely a threat to the wizarding world, maybe he's Chaos reborn, but that's too far fetched a theory to be considering. Besides he'd have come after Usagi-chan by now if that were true. Still, it seems strange that he could be so dangerous, and so powerful that the mere mention of his name casts fear into the hearts of the greatest wizards and witches and yet the other senshi don't see a need to make sure he's dead. I guess in the long run it doesn't matter, we already know the future. But I still wonder, Glandria nearly changed that future, what if Voldemort could do the same if we didn't stop him?
It seems there's only one person who's ever survived an attack from Voldemort, and weakened him nonetheless. And that's the Harry Potter person I keep reading about. Famous from infancy, makes me wonder what kind of hellhole his life is. I've been reading articles form the Daily Prophet, a wizarding newspaper, and all they seem to be doing is saying that Voldemort is not alive and saying Harry Potter is a liar as well as Dumbledore, someone the senshi, even Glandria, hold in high regard. This only seems to prove that Voldemort's a threat, because no one is willing to believe he's back he can work without anyone seeing him. Maybe if he tries attacking Hogwarts I can rid our future of his presence.
However, just as I was considering this aspect of action, my book showed me an ancient prophecy, passed down from the stars onto a woman named Trelawny, that clearly stated this 'Dark Lord' could only be killed by Harry Potter. I still can't help but feel there's something I should do in all this. Maybe I should help Harry, but how?
Well, it's almost time for practice, better get going. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to stay here, the two months have already passed and I'm wondering how much slower time is on the Zero Star. Setsuna once said something about time stopping when you were in the same room with the Cauldron, it'd make sense that time would be very slow on the star it homes in.
Hotaru then made her pen lay flat upon the book and she shut it with the pen in there, knowing that it would be there when she wanted to open the book back up to her journal.
******
Journal Entry, Seems short: Wow, I never knew just how much I could learn in such a short amount of time, or what seems like a short amount of time. Galaxia declared that I'm already 5th year level, and going up. I'm certain I'll be able to pass my O.W.L.s, though I'm not sure of what career I want to choose as a witch, if any. Galaxia-er-Glandria says that each and every senshi has gotten Os in Astronomy, not surprising, though the teachers found it a bit odd. Most students don't get very high in Astronomy unless they want to peruse a career in star gazing.
Speaking of careers, I've been looking at my options in this book. It's very uncharacteristic of me, but I think I'd like to be an Auror. Though if I'm not cut out to be that I could always become a healer, that's actually what I want to do. But, given the soon-to-come crisis of Earth, it would probably be the best career option. I hope no one remembers me from Hogwarts the next time I'm reincarnated, that'll be hard to explain. Maybe I could be an Auror in this life and when I get reborn again I can become a healer.
I've noticed something in the past, Galaxia has been going to earth for long periods of time, giving me homework to complete in her absence. She's probably having meetings or something with Dumbledore about her class, I think she was going to take on Astronomy considering they've already found a DADA teacher, and the old Astronomy teacher wants to retire. I hope she hasn't had any run-ins with Haruka-papa lately.
I guess that's it for now, Galaxia says we'll be here for another month and a half, Cauldron time that is.
*********
"Give Michiru-mama a kiss." The senshi of the sea sniffed.
"Bai bai Michiru-mama." Hotaru said, kissing her mother figure on the cheek.
"If that Galaxia gives you any trouble…" Haruka began defensively.
"Haruka-papa!" Hotaru protested.
"Okay, okay, I'll stand her for your sake." She said as Hotaru gave her father figure a kiss.
"I'll drop by occasionally, Dumbledore just might need a substitute teacher at one point or another." Setsuna told her, Hotaru reached up to give her other mother figure a kiss on the cheek.
"Okay." She said.
"Don't forget to write." Michiru said.
"I won't." Hotaru replied.
"If you see any cute guys, ignore them." Haruka said making Hotaru giggle.
"Try to make some new friends while you're at it and ignore Haruka's last comment." Setsuna said, earning herself a glare from Haruka.
Hotaru nodded and smiled. "I'll miss you all. Sayonara!" She said and then, with Midnight (her black owl) in hand and the rest of her stuff in sub-space, she set off to find platform 9 ¾.
There was Glandria, speaking with a couple of men who were accompanied by a large dog, who was circling and barking happily. "Well, Moody, I'm glad to see you're in good health now. How's your eye?" Glandria asked.
Galaxia looked like a real teacher, her golden hair pulled back in a long, tight braid, gold rimmed sun glasses with a red tent to them so that her ruby red eyes weren't so obvious (the outers made Hotaru do the same and wear some violet colored glasses), and a red jacket, buttoned up to the collar, with a tight red skirt that reached to her knees. She also wore some red high heels and a thin gold necklace to ornate her outfit.
"A bit irritating to say the least." Said the man she had been talking too, he was wearing an odd bolder hat that covered up one eye.
"Ah, Hotaru-hime, I wasn't sure you'd be here on time, considering how much your family detests my existence." Galaxia said good-naturedly, though she reverted back to Japanese.
"And who's this young lady?" Asked a pleasant looking man.
"This is Hotaru, Lupin. Hotaru-hime, this is Moody, Lupin, Arther, and their dog. I'd tell you his name, but that might raise alarm." She said. All four stared at her with shocked expressions and she merely smirked.
"The dog is not acting like a dog." Hotaru giggled, Sirius Black turned his head to her. Yes, she knew it was him, thanks to her book she knew almost everything, or would know anyways. She hadn't read enough of it to know everything.
"I'm just going to assume you two are actually good at Divination and leave it at that. Good day Miss Sapphire." Moody said. The rest said their goodbyes and then left with the dog Sirius trailing behind them.
Glandria smoothed out her skirt and then said, "Shall we go?"
Hotaru nodded.
*******
"Afraid we'll have to get into this cart, my legs are too tired from standing to walk around any more." Glandria said just as a pretty oriental girl passed them, adding another odd look to Hotaru's collection. Glandria was referring to the cart that the girl seemingly just passed. "Hope you kids don't mind, good gracious what's this?" Glandria gasped when they opened the cart door. The place was covered in a disgusting and smelly slime that made Hotaru want to gag. Glandria pulled out her gold wand and corrected the matter. "Please don't irritate you're magical plants, the effects are never pleasant." She said, bustling in to take one of the empty sets. "As I was saying before, hope you don't mind but my legs are soar and I need to sit down."
"Are you the new DADA teacher?" Asked a boy with messy black hair and a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. Wait a moment, wasn't that…?
"No, I was going to take that job but someone else had insisted upon it." Galaxia said as Hotaru sat down beside her and a girl with long brown hair and big eyes that were starring at them both.
"Well, what are you teaching then?" Asked another, very friendly, girl across from us.
"Astronomy, the old teacher wished to retire." She answered. Then suddenly, as if remembering something, she stood up and looked at her pocket watch. "Oh dear, another few minutes and I'll be late. Gomen-nasai Hotaru-hime, but I must be going." She said.
"D-demo!" Hotaru protested. She didn't know these people, Glandria couldn't leave her!
"Don't worry Chibi-hime, these are a good sort. Sayonara." She said, giving Hotaru a little kiss on the cheek before she left.
"I like her, is she your aunt or something?" Harry Potter asked.
"No, not really, more like another foster mother. But I wouldn't let Haruka-papa know that, they don't get along very well, thought that's mostly Haruka-papa's fault." Hotaru said.
"You're Japanese." The girl beside Hotaru stated. Hotaru merely nodded. "It's obvious with your hair and eyes, they're known for having odd colors. But you're accent's pretty strong, you and the new professor both were also speaking Japanese. I know a little, but not much." She said. "By the way, I'm Luna Lovegood." She said.
"Oh, I'm Ginny Weasley." Said the other girl.
"I'm Nevil Longbottom." Said the boy with blondish brown (I'm not sure if this is right) hair.
"I'm—"
"I already know who you are. Harry Potter." Hotaru said, feeling a bit more comfortable. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Hotaru Tomo." She said.
"How come you came here late?" Asked Ginny.
"They couldn't find me until now, our mansion has a lot of wards around it, hardly anything but a telephone and Internet connection gets through." She said. But only Harry seemed to get it.
Now that things were settled down, Hotaru moved to the corner so she could comfortably position herself and read her book. But before she did, "H-how'd you materialize that thing from thin air?" Ron gasped.
"Sub-space. Everyone has it, but no one uses it." Hotaru said shrugging it off. She then opened the latch and started reading.
'Ginny is the daughter of Arthur Weasley, her brother, Ron, will be there in a few moments and so will his and Harry's friend, Hermione, who's also muggleborn. She's a bit of a bookworm and has enough smarts for the three of them and more. They'll be fallowed by a boy named Draco Malfoy, watch out for him, his instant disliking of Hotaru Tomo will make him want to insult and step in her way every turn she makes.' Her book told her.
Gee, thanks. She sighed mentally, wishing Galaxia hadn't left.
'A suggestion is to keep your nose in this book and be so wrapped up in it you don't notice the outside world, then you won't have to deal with him.' It wasn't the first time the book talked right to her, nor, did she think, would it be the last time.
It was a little less than an hour before Ron and Hermione showed up. "I'm starving." Ron said putting his owl nest to Hotaru's.
"Well, there are two fifth-year prefects from each House," said Hermione. Hotaru read the conversation in her book while listening to it so she could stay out of it and yet still be completely engrossed. "Boy and girl from each."
"And guess who's the Slytherin prefect?" Ron said.
"Malfoy," Harry replied broodingly.
'Ah, the one who will be aggravating our dear Princess Saturn.' The book said. Okay, who ever heard of a book having a mocking personality?
"'Course" Said Ron bitterly as he stuffed his face.
"And that complete cow Pansy Parkingson. How she got to be a prefect when she's thicker than a concussed troll…" Hermione growled, more to herself than anyone else.
"Who's Hufflepuff?" Harry asked.
"Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott." Said Ron.
"And Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil for Ravenclaw." Hermione added.
The conversation went on from Ron's bad date with Padma to making a person named Goyle 'Draco's lackey' do lines, and then had Luna Lovegood cracking up like no tomorrow. After that she took The Quibber back from Harry and that's when 'Draco Malfoy' came into the cart.
He was smirking at Harry in between his lackeys when Harry demanded, "What?"
"Manners, Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention," Draco replied. "You see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."
"Yeah, but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone." Harry retorted.
"Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley, Potter?" Draco sneered.
"Shut up Malfoy." Hermione snapped.
"I seemed to have touched a nerve. Well, just watch yourself, Potter, because I'll be dogging your footsteps in case you step out of line." Draco said.
"If all you're going to do here is put down your fellows you might as well leave and get yourself an actual life." Hotaru asked, without thinking. Those around her snickered, even the two lugs in front of Draco, who stopped when Draco growled at them. Hotaru ignored the glare he was sending her and thought, note to self, think before reciting what a book tells you to say.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. In fact, I don't think I've seen you at all. Did they try to wait as long as they possibly could to send you the letter, or did they just not want you to come at all?" He asked.
"That, in the terms of Makoto-chan, was lame. The owls merely got lost and confused on the way to my house." Hotaru answered, without even looking up from her book, which was suddenly taken out of her hands. "Hey!!!" Hotaru protested angrily, grabbing for her book.
"Malfoy, give that back to her!!!" Hermione exclaimed standing up.
"Hmph! Can't read a word of it anyway." He said, throwing it to the side. Without another word the door slammed shut and he was gone, thankfully.
Hotaru gingerly picked up her book and started smoothing out the pages. "Baka." She muttered irritably. Luna giggled a bit and then disappeared under her newspaper again while Hotaru went back to reading her book.
"That…was…lame." Ron quoted, and then he started snickering.
********
Journal Entry, Sorting: After the incident in the train, Draco Malfoy has decided that he's going to be 'dogging' my footsteps too. I told him to get a life again, though it was probably not the best course of action because he doesn't seem to take it well. I retreated to the comfort of my already familiar friends only to be torn apart by having to be put in with the 1st years to be sorted. Needless to say I was nervous, but, as always, I normally don't show what I'm feeling. It's becoming a bit of a habit. So to others I probably appeared cool and confident, either that or just naturally mellow 24/7.
To keep from seeming too abnormal I put my trunk in the luggage compartment so that it would be in my room, wherever that was. Glandria said something about having a small room to myself because I'm a late arrival. I hoped more than anything that she was right.
The 'sorting hat' was quite strange. It started talking about how the separation of houses would make Hogwarts cave in. I think that's what I've been sensing ever since I came to this place. Tension between houses, especially the ones called Slytherin and Griffindor. And this worries me.
Anyways, I was to be sorted last because I was a late arrival. I would have preferred that they didn't single me out, but because I'm obviously older than the others it would be hard not to do so.
"I hope you'll accept our apologies for the late arrival." The one called McGonnogall said after calling my name. Because I was a bit too tall for the stool, she merely placed the hate onto my head.
'Hmmm…you'll find this interesting, but I've never met someone who fit in every house perfectly. Though I'm leaning more towards Slytherin. What do you think?' the hat asked in my mind.
'It doesn't really matter which house I'm in, really, just so long as I can get the education.' I replied to it mentally.
'Very well then' "Slytherin!!!" it said out loud. All but the Slytherins seemed dumbstruck, though Malfoy was an acceptation. I could tell what they were thinking, 'how could a sweet looking girl like that get into Slytherin?' well, maybe not to that extent. My skin is quite pale, and I'm still wearing black a lot. I noted that Harry Potter and those I had met before were particularly surprised. Though at the time I had no idea why.
So as not to gain too much attention I went to the far end of the table and sat down without a word to anyone. I didn't know them, and Galaxia didn't say much about Slytherins. Neither, come to think of it, did my other foster parents. I wasn't sure what to expect, so for now I'd best just observe.
I had little time to do so, however, as the man named Dumbledore called attention and we had to listen to him, but that's not how it turned out. The lady who had insisted upon the DADA position interrupted and we had to listen to her talk about change and such. I had no clue what she meant, but as soon as I decided to ignore her and open up this book it told me. The Ministry of Magic was going to start intervening in Hogwarts through Umbridge. And I just got here too…oh well. Maybe it's for the better. Or maybe not.
I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing, but I feel a bit at home in the Slytherin common room. There's not a whole lot of light, and there's not very much talking. You have the occasional sound of Draco Malfoy bragging about his shiny new prefect badge as it enters my bubble of thought as well as the same coming from Pansy Parkingson, the girl Hermione doesn't like, doing the same. Speaking of Draco Malfoy.
I am currently sitting on a very relaxing armchair in front of the fire, in a position that you normally wouldn't pay attention to anyone who was sitting there. There are many of these said places here, I guess because Slytherin's aren't that social. And right now the boy in question is looking over in a position that he thinks I can't see him in and trying to read what my pen is writing down. There's no way he'd be able to learn it without the knowledge of Silence, humans need noise to their language, or motion, this language of Saturn uses neither of these and isn't merely a written language. But I'll get to that later.
"Is there something you want Malfoy-san?" Hotaru asked without looking up from her book. She made her pen lie down and then turned a few pages to another part of her book.
"Yes, actually. A life, mind telling me where I can get one of those?" he asked with a bit of a sneer in his voice. "Those aren't Japenese characters." He stated plainly.
"You're right, they're characters that I made up myself so that no one else can read my diary." She said a bit sarcastically. "Japanese isn't the only language I know." She resisted the urge to say something along the lines of 'duh'. But Malfoy got the point.
"You're coming late will put you way behind classes." He said, "Maybe you should ask professor Snape to help you out."
"Why Malfoy, I had no idea you cared." Hotaru said sweetly.
He merely snorted, "Don't get a big head, you're bungling will bring a bad name to Slytherin." He said.
"Thanks, but no thanks Malfoy-san. Glandria, or rather Professor Sapphire, caught me up on my studies enough that I don't think things will be too bad. Now, if there's nothing else you want." She said turning back to her book.
"Yes. I hope you're not planning on speaking with Potter any more, now that you're Slytherin." He said.
"Malfoy-san, can you not hear? Did you not listen to what the sorting hat was trying to tell us? I'm not going to ignore my friends just because of some silly house prejudice." She told him.
"You might not feel that way, but just wait until you try speaking with Potter again, Tomo." He said.
"My, my, my Malfoy, with all the attention you seem to be directing towards Miss Firefly one would think you actually have a little crush." Said a new voice, Hotaru turned to see who had just said that.
She was apparently Japanese herself, long raven blue hair tied in a low and loose ponytail and pulled behind her ears, the girl had black eyes and pale skin, almost as pale as Hotaru's.
Malfoy sneered, "Back off Night, you don't have a right to butt in." He said.
"A right?" Night looked affronted, "Why Malfoy, what 'right' have you to tell me what I have a right too? Oh right, that." She said with a bit of disgust when Malfoy flashed his prefect badge. "Just because you're a prefect doesn't mean you were suited to the job. I can't think of anyone who'd sooner abuse the privilege really. But that still doesn't mean you have any right whatsoever over me. Now run along and show someone who cares that you're a prefect." She ordered.
Malfoy grumbled something under his breath but he left anyways. Allowing Hotaru a breath of relief. "Thanks." She said.
"No problem. Malfoy's a pain in the rear to everyone, I'm just the only one who'll admit it." She said sitting down. "I'm Kioko Night, or Night Kioko to you." She introduced.
"Hotaru's my first name, Tomo's my last. But you can just call me Hotaru." She said.
"I kind of like Firefly. Anyways, I heard you were getting dumped into my room because it's the last one for the 5th year girls, the others are full because I scared them off. For some reason people just don't seem to like me." She said with a sarcastic and innocent look on her face. Hotaru gave her a questioning look, "Well, that's partly my fault because I can't stand giggling and late night talking. Stupidity and ignorance are pet peeves of mine, and, unfortunately, there are a lot of stupid people out there." She said. "But you don't seem like the type that really annoys me. Can you believe that over half the people in this House don't know what a rocket launcher is?!" She exclaimed, that last one was loud enough for several around them to hear.
Hotaru giggled quietly, "I guess some wizards and witches are almost as ignorant of muggle ways as they are ours." She said.
"Heck yeah! By the way, are you going to try out for quidditch?" She asked stretching. "I'm thinking about getting a Beating spot, stress relief you know." She said, swinging her arms around as if she had a bat in it. "If I'm lucky I'll get Draco off his broom, thought that might not go to well with actually winning the game."
Hotaru nodded, "I don't think I'll try out, I'm not that good with sports." She said.
"You don't have to be good at sports in general, just flying. Gods know we need a better seeker than Malfoy. Ever since Potter came around Slytherin hasn't been able to beat Gryffindor yet. But I'm not complaining, what do I care about house rivalry?" She asked.
"Yeah, why do people have to get at each others throats just because of house differences?" Hotaru asked, thankful she found someone else who had listened to the sorting hat.
"Well, it's somewhat of a matter of having a personality clash between Gryffindor and Slytherin. But not everyone's like that. Harry Potter seems okay, though his friends drive me up the wall at times. You know what?" She suddenly broke her sentence, "I have no idea why but normally I'm not this talkative and somehow you have me ranting my head off as if we've known each other for years. Have we met before?" She asked.
"I don't think so. I think I would have remembered, but then again…" Hotaru trailed off, then again she could have known her in a past life. Kioko did seem familiar somehow. Maybe it was the raven hair and pale skin.
"Ah well." Kioko waved it off, "I'll figure it out, I always do. Though how in the world Potter can stand to be around Weasley will remain a mystery until I find out just how high that boy's tolerance is." She said.
Hotaru couldn't help but giggle, Ron did seem a bit annoying at the time, it could just be a 'Slytherin trait' but he didn't seem unbearable to Hotaru. Maybe it depended on the person.
"What's that?" Kioko asked, referring to Hotaru's book.
"Oh, it's like a journal only it takes notes for me too. It used to be my Grandma's and she put some stuff in here that helped me prepare for the school year. Though Glandria-sensei caught me up quite a bit too." Hotaru answered.
"Interesting, though it looks to be in some sort of foreign writing, and I'd know Japanese, heck, I am Japanese. I'd ask you to teach it to me so we can pass notes in class that no one else can read, however no one but Dumbledore knows Japanese in this school so that's not a very libel reason. Oh well, it doesn't really matter." She said, then, just before Malfoy was about to come back with some retort she said, "Let's go on to our dorm room before any dog-brained annoyances decide to interrupt us. Why hello Malfoy, we were just talking about you." She said.
Hotaru had a hard time suppressing her giggles as the two girls made their way up the stairs and on to their room. She then let loose and had to use her bed to brace herself, all the while Kioko was fixing her bed and smirking, proud of herself for the stab she gave Malfoy, and they hadn't even given him time to retort.
The room was fairly big for merely two people, but that was probably because no one else wanted to hang around Kioko. Hotaru's bed had green hangings and covers, but Kioko's bed had blue and silver on it instead. When Hotaru gave her a questioning look she said, "I changed the colors, personally I like blue and because no one else is around no one really cares. Not that I'd select green instead just to appease anyone, it's just I can get away with it without getting annoyed about it. If I were you I'd change the covers to violet, silver, and black." She said, she then pulled out her wand and did so on Hotaru's bed. "There, it suites you more than that green."
"Thank you." Hotaru said, thinking that it did so too.
"Now, before I cement the fact that I like you I think we ought to learn more about each other." Kioko said as she lit the candle on the small table. She then sat down on one of the chairs and Hotaru sat down on the other. "So, what are you're parents like? Don't know where that one came from, but it seems a good starting point." She explained.
"Well, Setsuna-mama is very calm, collected, serious, but fun loving at the same time. She use to be a school nurse and all the kids loved her because she's so nice. Michiru-mama is sweet and sensitive, she's fun-loving as well, more so than Setsuna-mama, but she's serious when she needs to be. Haruka-papa is the more outgoing of them, always getting into fights, drag racing and such. But they're all nice." Hotaru said.
"Hm, so you have foster parents?" Hotaru nodded, "Ah, sounds nice. You're very lucky to have such caring parents." She said, though she was glowering a bit.
"Why, what's wrong with yours?" Hotaru asked.
"Okay, get this, my little brother is three years younger than me and a squib. I live in the house of a Ravenclaw and a Hufflepuff and they coddle him just because he can't do magic. He's such a baby, when we get into fights I'll get the worst wound but he'll cry so much that I'm the one who gets in trouble. He's always hiding behind my parents, they let him get away with almost anything but when I try to do the same thing they snip and bark at me. It's terrible. My one escape is the computer, and he's always wanting that too. I can't even keep him out of my room because he busts my door down and the will take my stuff and loose it. Then he has the nerve to say he didn't take it when I have proof that he did. But mom and dad still believe him and I end up getting in trouble for blaming him. I'm about ready to hex them all and leave. But then they'd tell the Minestry and I'd probably get expelled. Hogwarts is my only escape." She sighed. "Man, that's been boiling in my chest for a while." She said rubbing her face as if to remove her sleepiness.
"That sounds awful." Hotaru said, now feeling sorry for Kioko. "I don't think I could handle being in that kind of position. You must be pretty strong."
"That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me since…well, it's been a while." She said smirking and waving a bit. "So what about your real parents, are they still around or what?" She asked.
"Well…" Hotaru looked down at her hands, wondering how to put what she wanted to say, "My mother died when I was born, so my father had to raise me by himself. He found a caretaker, though, to help him out. But he was a scientist and taught at Mugen School. Well, there was an accident in his lab one day and well…he's in the hospital, alive but maternally ill. My caretaker died too, though I never liked her and she never liked me. So my foster parents took me in." She said, leaving out enough to keep her story from seeming too suspicious.
"Wow," Kioko said with sympathy, "I can't think if my life's worse or yours." She said.
Hotaru shook her head and smiled, "It's okay. Death is only the beginning of a journey after all. I think he'll be fine." She said.
"I don't think I'd really have a problem with my parent's dieing, they kind of lost my love, but you really loved your father didn't you?" Kioko asked, Hotaru nodded. "At least you're surrounded by people who also love you, though here you might not be so lucky. Slytherin house can be pretty mean at times. Just stick with me and we'll get through this." She said.
"Okay."
A/N: To those who've read my other stuff Kioko will probably sound familiar. It's because I use her in a lot of fics, Master of Masks' Yujora is a very good example.